'What others don't have is' - Defender reveals what gives Derby clear advantage over Portsmouth, Bolton and Barnsley in League One promotion race

Derby defender Eiran Cashin claims to know what will bank the Rams a Championship return at the end of the season and leave their promotion rivals disappointed.

The centre-half, who has made 34 League One appearances for Paul Warne’s side this term, believes he and his team-mates are mentally stronger than the rest, which gives them a clear advantage heading into the final weeks of the season.

Derby dropped to third in the table and outside the automatic promotion places following Bolton’s 2-2 draw at fellow Championship-chasers Barnsley on Tuesday night. With 10 games of the campaign remaining, they are now a point worse off than Wanderers and seven behind league-leaders Pompey, who they face at Fratton Park on Tuesday, April 2. 

Below Derby are a chasing pack that includes Barnsley, Peterborough, Stevenage, Oxford and Blackpool, all of whom retain serious ambitions of winning promotion - albeit more likely via the play-offs.

Derby, who also have games against Bolton and Blackpool on their fixtures list, have their work cut out to gain an automatic promotion spot and keep those below them in the table at bay. However, according to Cashin, that’s not a problem given their imperious mental approach to the task at hand.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international told the Derby Telegraph: ‘There is a real culture of togetherness here. He (manager Paul Warne) was saying recently that there's not much between the top eight teams in the league. They all have quality, but what others don't have isa mentality and that mindset in that every time we're on the pitch, we're going to run harder and outbattle them. And I think that's something that will hopefully separate us from other teams. 

‘In my view, that's what perhaps separates this team from other teams that I played in in the past.’

Cashin also lauded the culture Warne has developed at the club. He believes that’s another weapon in the Derby arsenal that will get the Rams back in the Championship after a two-year absence.

‘He (Warne) is a big advocate for helping to make sure we're good off the pitch as well as on it,’ added Cashin. ‘He's been very honest and there's been a lot of things that have happened.

‘I think that's one of his strongest characteristics. He's very good at getting you to play for a purpose such as your family, making them proud as well as your team-mates. When you can use that emotion for positivity, which is what he does and he is so good at it, especially with his team-talks, you can't help but leave feeling really good.’